Raptors 905 lose two in a row for the first time this season

We’ve come to expect the Raptors 905 to always win. Even though they struggled after the first quarter, a comeback seemed possible until … they only scored 15 points in the fourth quarter. The 905 were blown out 109-93 in Long Island on Friday night.

In the third quarter, Quincy Guerrier came alive. He got a transition bucket, but Long Island Nets newcomer Alex Schumacher completed the and-one. Then, Guerrier made a power move to the basket and scored. Tyson Degenhart attempted a 3, but Julian Reese grabbed the offensive board, drew the foul, and hit the free throw to make it a 14-point game.

This 905 squad have found myriad ways to win. Guerrier saved the ball from going out of bounds on a transition offensive play, and Tyreke Key attacked and scored on Malachi Smith. But then, Chaney Johnson hit a 3 to push the Nets’ lead back up to 15.

This was the unfortunate story of the third quarter. The Nets always had an answer. At the end of the frame, Olivier Sarr dove after setting a screen at half court and scored, making it a 15-point game. Hopes were up, a comeback seemed possible, but then, the fourth quarter became a disaster.  

The 905 had six turnovers in the final frame and shot 2-8 (25%) from downtown. Nothing was going right for Tyreke Key. When he attacked, Long Island deflected the ball, and it went off his foot. Unlucky turnover. When Degenhart threw a nice kickout pass from the paint, he couldn’t catch the ball as it slipped through his hands and went off his knee. Another turnover. When Key tried to make a post-entry pass into Reese, it turned into an unforced turnover.

The 905 looked like its parent team when they played the Lakers last Sunday, the start of their West Coast trip. The 905 couldn’t break the zone, and shot an abysmal 6-29 (21%) from downtown after starting the first half 3-15 (20%). Six Nets players scored in double digits, and Grant Nelson scored a team-high 20 points on an extremely efficient 7-8 shooting – he got inside the paint whenever he wanted. He was not only a headache for the 905, but for those watching too. 

There were positives, however. After missing the game-tying tip-in shot last game, Guerrier played with a chip on his shoulder, and finished with 13 points. Newcomer Tyrese Hunter played with fearlessness. He drew a foul from Tyson Etienne, hit a triple, and even tried to keep the vibes high for his teammates by clapping while pressing in the fourth quarter. He was doing all this without a name on the back of his jersey.

It’s a disappointing loss for a team that has normalized winning, but December’s Coach of the Month will surely turn things around next game.

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